Follow Your Adventurous Spirit to Yuma, Arizona

Hello, I’m Yuma. Home of the bold and boundless, where adrenaline and adventure exist in abundance. Here, the desert is a playground for the fearless and the wholeheartedly audacious. Between land’s end and water’s edge, testing boundaries from the banks of the Rio Colorado to Castle Dome Peak and everywhere in between. This is your invitation to follow your adventurous spirit.

With legendary sunshine and an abundance of adrenaline in nature, soak up every minute in Yuma the way you’ve always wanted to — without regrets. The wide-open spaces in and around Yuma lend themselves perfectly to outdoor adventures in the Sonoran desert or on the Rio Colorado. With a perfect blend of fresh air, nature, year-round sunshine and warm weather, you have countless opportunities to tick off the items on your bucket list.

If you’re looking for rugged outdoor adventure, Yuma is the ideal starting point for exploring the vast wilderness of the Imperial, Kofa and Cibola National Wildlife Refuges.

Together, these make up one of the country’s largest contiguous protected areas for wildlife, spanning more than 1,000 miles and their ecosystems include desert, desert upland, riparian, grasslands and forest. Visitors can hike, mountain bike, camp, bird watch and learn all about the desert plants, animals and critters that live here.

Another incredible hike to add to your list is taking a trek to the top of Telegraph Pass.

Iconic photos abound at Imperial Sand Dunes National Recreation Area and at Valley of the Names, while longer hikes with more time to contemplate or camp overnight include trails at Palm Canyon, Castle Dome and Picacho. Just add water (views) by checking out the trails at Mittry Lake, Xanyō Xamshré Lake, Fortuna Pond and Senator Wash.

Speaking of water, there is plenty of aquatic adventure to be had in and around Yuma.

Grab your paddleboard, kayak or canoe — better yet, don’t worry about a thing and just rent one locally. The grand Rio Colorado offers several access points for floating, fishing, splashing and exploring via watercraft. With the year-round warmth, that means being on the water isn’t just for summertime.

Head west to visit Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area, a six-mile wide by 42-mile long stretch of dunes that is among the six largest deep sand dunes in the country for ATVers and off-road enthusiasts.

Vehicle camping is popular here and permitted in all areas open to vehicle use, with sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. The main camping areas are Buttercup, Midway, Gray’s Well, Gecko and Roadrunner campgrounds which all offer parking pads, toilets and trash facilities.

Besides Imperial Sand Dunes, other areas which allow off-roading and ATV riding include King Road and Castle Road, Laguna Mountain Ridge, McPherson Pass and the route of the Butterfield Stagecoach. Also check out trails at Plumosa Mountains, Palm Canyon and Sand Bowl OHV Area.

Adventure awaits — all year long — in the sunniest place on earth. Add these seasonal suggestions to your bucket list.

Fall:

ATV season opens up in mid-October. Rent an ATV from Jet Rent and head to the dunes to play all day. Set up camp and when the sun goes down, gaze at the stars above!

Winter:

Hike, bike or horseback ride your way along the trails of the Sonoran Desert. Then rent a kayak from 310KPR and float the Colorado River as you birdwatch. Mark the end of your day with a technicolor sunset from a pontoon or paddleboard.

Spring:

Take your adventure to full throttle with high-speed boating on Martinez Lake and visit one (or all!) of Yuma’s three National Wildlife Refuges to see the Palo Verde exploding into bloom.

Summer:

Don’t let higher temps deter you from visiting Yuma in the summer. Head to Telegraph Pass for a sunrise hike — and the best time of day for wildlife activity. Take a dip in Mittry Lake to cool off or consider a nighttime float down the Colorado River.

Have a passion for the bold and the boundless? This is your invitation to follow your adventurous spirit and visit Yuma, Arizona!

***

VisitYuma.com

Read other destination posts here.